Hearing Conservation Awareness

This training will equip participants with the ability to demonstrate an understanding of a working place hearing conservation programme, measure noise levels and recommend appropriate remedial action where the levels are too high.

The understanding includes all those actions required to meaningfully determine environmental and personal noise levels.

Content:

• The basic mechanism of human hearing.
  • Basic functional anatomy of the human outer, middle and inner ear.
  • Overview of the OHS Act.
• Causes and effects of exposure to noise.
  • Definition of noise.
  • Effects of noise on hearing ability, human performance and safety in the working place.
  • Causes of noise in the working place.
• Control measures to reduce noise exposure.
  • Legal requirements pertaining to noise level limits.
  • Control measures to deal with excessive noise levels.
  • Correct use, storage and hygiene of personal protective equipment.
  • Implementation of hearing conservation programme.
• Knowledge and understanding of noise level monitoring and measuring procedures.
  • Audiometric testing.
  • Importance of both working place and personal monitoring.
  • Procedures to be followed when noise reaches unacceptable levels.
  • The importance of submitting timeously, complete, accurate reports, in the required format, to designated personnel.
• Measurement of sound levels and the determination of personal equivalent noise exposure levels.
  • The principle of operation of the instrument and the precautions regarding handling and storage.
  • Measuring method and application of the instrument.
  • Limits of equivalent noise levels.
• Determining noise or personal equivalent exposure levels, measure sound levels and collect relevant data.
  • Required personal protective equipment.
  • Examination and calibration of dosimeter or sound level meter.
  • Permit system.
  • Hazard and risk control when measuring noise levels.
• Reporting and making recommendations.
  • Retrieval, examination and re-calibration.
  • Fostering team effort in retrieval.